Machine for making fiber reed



' July 26, 1938.

I G. E. NORDSTROM ET AL MACHINE FOR MAKING FIBER REED Filed NOV. 16, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 fake 57701652? G. E. NORDSTROM ET AL MACHINE FOR umxmw FIBER REED Filed Nov. 16, 19:56

July 26,1938.

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July 26, 1938. G. E. NORDSTROM El AL 2,124,926v

MACHINE FOR MAKING FIBER REED s SheetS-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 16, 1936 J. War-4 .1fm)! arJ .1561894 41... T- mum UNITED j sr rEs PATENT bFl-lCE- I mom son. animal-man ms Gustaf E. Nordstrom and Edward J. Holden,

Gardner, Mara, assignors to American Fibre Corporation, Gardner, Masa. a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 1s, 1936, Serial No." 110,93:

7 6 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of fiber reed by a continuous operation from a narrow strip of heavy paper, commonly supplied as a narrow roll of large diameter. A machine for this general purpose is shown in a prior patent to the applicant Nordstrom, No. 1,962,257, issued June 12, 1934.

With this prior machine, the paper was gummed-and dried in a preliminary operation, and was scored for folding along predetermined lines before the previously dried glue was moistened.

One object of our invention is to provide a reed making machine in which the gluing of the paper takes place during the passage of the paper through the machine, while the pre-drying of the glue and the subsequent moistening thereof is wholly avoided.

- A further object is to provide a machine in which the scoring operation is eliminated and in which the freshly gummed paper is drawn through a fixed die and between tensloning and forming or pressing rolls which deliver a completely formed reed to the winding devices.

Another object is to provide means in such a machine for drying the formed reed as it is delivered to the winding spool, thereby avoiding a subsequent and separate drying and rewinding operation.

Our invention further relates to'the provision of improved dies and guide devices for effectively forming a reed from a flat strip of freshly gummed paper.

Our invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing our improved reed making machine;

Fig. 2 is a detail front view, looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of certain of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the device shownin Fig.

Fig. 12 is a detail sectional view of the paper guiding device, taken along the line l2-l2 in Figs. 6 and 11;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged sectional front elevation of the forming dies, taken along the line 13-" in Fig. 6;

Fig. 14 is a detail sectional view of the partially:; formed reed, taken along the line ll-M in Fig.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged partial sectional plan view of the forming and pressing 'roll s, taken along the line l5i5 in Fig. 6;

Fig. 16 is a cross section of the formed reed, taken along the line lB-IB in Fig. 6;

Fig. 17 is a detail side elevation showing certain roll-adjusting parts appearing in ,Fig. 1 but in a different position; and

Figs. 18 and 19 are views similar to Fig. 15 but showing modified forms of rolls and deeds.

Referring to the drawings, our improved'reedmaking machine comprises a frame 20 supporting standards 2| -in which a roll L of kraft or similar paper is rotatably mounted. A weight W is preferably guided between the standards 2| and rests loosely on the top of the roll L, thus providing friction to sufficiently retard the delivery of the paper to the reed-forming mechanism.

A glue pan 22 (Figs. 1 and 6) is mounted on a bracket 23 supported by the frame 20' and is provided with bearings for a drum 24, the lower portion of which dips into the glue as the drum rotates. A transfer roll 25 rests on the drum 24 and is rotatably mounted in bearings in the swinging ends of arms 26, mountedon a fixed pivot 21. The paper strip S is guided over the transfer roll and in segmental contact therewith by a fixed guide-roll 28.

The glued or gummed strip S is engaged by a scraper or blade (Figs. 6 and 7) pivotally mounted adjacent a fixed guide rod 31 on a post 3|. The scraper is secured in position by a clamping nut 32 which may be loosened when it is desired to angularly adjust the scraper blade about its supporting axis. The function of the scraper is to remove surplus glue from the strip S.

As the paper strip 8 is advanced'by the upper forming and pressing rolls 4. and 4|, it is drawn under a forming device or guide member 42 and is drawn through a pair of forming dies 42 and 44. i

The forming device 42 is secured to the under side of a flat paper guide 45 (Figs. 10, 11 and 12) The guide 42 is substantially semi-circular in cross section in its middle portion, as indicated in Fig. 12. and is tapered or beveled oi! in its rear portion as shown in Figs. 6 and 11. At its front end, the guide 42 is tapered in all directions, so that the extreme front end portion is conical and resembles in contour the pointed end of a pencil. The guide plate 45 is secured to a fixed arm 46 (Figs. 1 and 6) supported by the post 3|.

The dies 43 and 44 are mounted side by sid in a holder 41 (Fig. 7) carried by a fixed support 46 and provided with a clamping screw 49 by which the dies may be held in longitudinally adjusted position. When the dies are assembled, they provide a gradually contracting passage which is substantially square at its larger end, as indicated at 56 in Fig. 9.

The passage is gradually contracted both vertically and horizontally toward the left. in Fig. 6, and the outlet of the passage has the irregular and much reduced shape indicated in Fig. 8, in which it will appear that the passage is of general contracting U section in both dies, but with the outlet 5| in the die 44 of substantially less height than the outlet 52 in the die 43. The

operation of the die in folding the paper strip will be hereinafter described.

As disclosed herein, the machine is designed for the production of a special reed R having the cross section indicated in Fig. 16, the reed being fiat on one side and convex and substantially semi-circular on the other.

The rolls 40 and 4| are designed to produce a reed of this particular cross section, the roll 40 being provided with a groove 54 (Fig. 15) having a rounded bottom, and the roll 4| being provided with a flange 55 fitting the groove 54 but having a square outer edge.

By varying the cross section of the groove and flange, the shape of the reed produced may be modified as desired. In Fig. 18 we have shown a roll 4|) having a rib'at the bottom of the groove and producing a form of reed R with a single groove therein. The roll 40 in Fig. 19 with two ribs at the bottom of the groove will produce a reed R with parallel grooves therein.

The forming and pressing roll 40 is mounted in a fixed bearing block 51 (Figs. 1 and 3) which in turn is secured to a fixed bracket 58. A stripper 59 is also mounted on the bracket 58 and extends into the groove 54 to remove the formed reed therefrom.

The roll 4| is rotatably mounted in a bearing block 60 (Figs. 3 and 4) which is connected by a link 6| (Fig. 5) to a forked link 62. The link 62 is also pivotally connected to the end of a stud 63 threaded in the axial opening of an adjusting screw 64. The screw 64 is threaded in the end portion 65 of the fixed bracket 58 and a lock nut 66 is provided to maintain the adjustment.

The thread on the stud 63 is of the same hand as the thread on the screw 64 but of slightly different pitch. Consequently when the screw 64 is rotated, a very delicate differential adjustment of the stud 69 is provided, which adjustment is .transmitted through the links 62 and 6| to the bearing block 60 of the forming and pressing roll 4|.

The links 6| and 62 form a toggle, commonly aligned with the stud 62 as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3 but capable of being swung upward manually to the position shown in Fig. 17 when it is desired to separate the rolls 46 and 4| for threading or other purposes. This separation of the rolls may be quickly and easily accomplished. without destroying the adjustment and setting of the rolls.

A second set of forming and pressing rolls II and 'II is mounted below the rolls 46 and 4|, said rolls being supported on a fixed bracket 12. A third bracket 13 is provided on which a third set of pressing and forming rolls may be mounted ii desired. A second stripper I5 may be provided for the roll I0 and is mounted on the fixed bracket 12.

The mounting and adjustment of the lower rolls 10 and H is identical-with the mounting and adjustment of the rolls 40 and 4| as above described, and further reference thereto is considered unnecessary.

A drive shaft (Figs. 3 and 4) is mounted in a bearing 9| on the lower bracket 13 and receives power from any suitable source. A gear 62 on the shaft 80 engages an intermediate gear 62 on the bracket 12 which in turn engages a gear 64 mounted to rotate with the lower forming roll 16. The gear 64 in turn engages an intermediate gear mounted on the upper bracket 56 and meshing with a gear 86 associated with and driving the upper forming roll 4|).

The front upper forming roll 4| is preferably geared to rotate with the back forming roll 46 but the lower front roll H is preferably free to rotate in contact with the roll 16 and with the reed passing between the rolls.

After passing through the upper and lower pairs of forming and pressing rolls, the formed reed R is drawn downward past a guide-roll 90 (Fig. 1) mounted on a swinging support 9| and held in operative position by a stop 92. The roll 90 may be swung forward out of the way when desired, for cleaning or other purposes.

The reed R passes from the guide-roll 90 to a drying drum 94 pivotally mounted on a carriage 95 and rotated by a motor M or other suitable driving mechanism. The reed is drawn over a sector of the drum 94 and is then wound on a spool 96, rotatable in bearings 9'l'slidably supported on guide-bars 98 extending rearward from the carriage 95. Weights W are connected to the bearings 91 by cords or chains 99 and pull the spool 96 forward to press the reed thereon into yielding engagement with the drum 94.

The carriage 95 is reciprocated on brackets I00 during the winding operation to provide the desired traverse for laying the reed helically on the barrel of the spool 96. The traversing mechanism may be of any suitable construction, such as is shown for instance in the Nordstrom Patent No. 1,962,257 previously mentioned.

Suitable provision is preferably made for heating the drum 94. In the drawings we have indicated the drum as being heated by steam conducted from a steam supply pipe ||l| by a flexible feed pipe )2. We have also shown a flexible return pipe I03 connected to an exhaust or return main I04. Any other suitable or convenient method of heating the drum 94 may be substituted.

Having described the details of construction of our improved reed making machine, the method of operation will be easily apparent. After the machine is threaded up, the paper strip. 8 is drawn into the machine by the tension of the upper and lower pairs oi? forming and pressing rolls and by additional tension supplied by the winding drum.

As the paper passes over the transfer roll 25, the under side of the paper receives a coating of adhesive, such as gum or glue, and any surplus adhesive is removed by the scraper blade 30. Thepaper strip S is then drawn under the guideplate 45 and guide member 42 and is under such tension that the paper assumes the upwardly concave form indicated in Fig. 12.

The paper in this concave form then enters the larger end of the passage between the forming dies 43 and 44, with the two edges of the paper upwardly disposed. As the paper is drawn through the dies, the rear or left-hand edge of the paper, as viewed in Fig. 13, is drawn into the upper portion oi! the wider forming groove 52 and the restof the paper is crushed or irregularly folded more or less into the position indicated in Fi 13.

As the strip leavesthe forming dies and approaches the forming and pressing rolls 40 and 4|, the strip becomes flattened and widened and assumes substantially the condition indicated in vFig. 14, where it will appear that the upper or leit-hand edge portion S is so disposed that when pressed between the forming rolls, the'edge of the portion S will substantially coincide with the edge of the reed.

The reed then passes between the forming and pressing rolls l0 and ll, as indicated in Fig. 15, Y

and is thereby given the cross section shown in Fig; 16. As the adhesive is still moist at this point in the operations, the several layers of paper are firmly cemented together.

An additional pressing and forming operation is performed by the lower rolls l0 and II, this second operation improving the uniformity and firmness of the product. If desired, the lower driven roll "I0 may be of very slightly greater diameter than the upper driven roll 40, so as to provide a very slight additional tension or draft on the reed as it emerges from the rolls ill and ll.

The reed delivered by the rolls I0 and II is further tensioned by the coacting winding drum N and spool 9i and the reed is held in close contact with the heated drum as the reed is delivered to the spool.

The reed wound on the spool also rolls in contact with the heated drum until covered by a succeeding layer, so that additional heat is transformed and the reed is dried to such an extent that it may be used directly in a loom or for other purposes without an additional and separate drying operation. A substantial saving in manuiacturing cost is thus eflected.

While a single unit only has been shown and described, it will be understood that a commercial' machine will ordinarily comprise a plurality of such units, preferably assembled as indicated in said Nordstrom patent.

Having thus described our invention and the advantages thereof. we do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what we claim is:-

I. In a machine for making fiber reed in which strip-supplying means, a glue-applying device, a

.guiding and preliminary rorming device. forming and crushing dies and rolls and winding apparatus cooperate in successive operative relation to transform a strip of paper into a fiber reed, that improvement which consists in providing in said winding apparatus a heated rotated roll, a. winding spool, means to press said spool yieldingly against said roll, and means to guide said reed into contact with said heated roll at a point removed by approximately one-eighth of a circumference from the point where the reed is wound. on said spool, whereby said reed is substantially dry as it approaches said winding spool and is further dried by contact of said heated roll with the outer layer of reed on said spool.

2. In a machine for making fiber reed by the successive operation of means to supply a fiber strip, a glue-applying device, guiding, forming,

crushing andpressing devices, and a winding device, and in which said pressing device comprises a driven roll mounted in fixed bearings and a second roll mounted in movable bearings, that improvement which consists in providing difierential mechanism for positively adjusting said movably mounted roll toward and away from said driven roll, said differential mechanism comprising a stud connected to said movable bearings, an adjusting screw in which said stud is threaded, and a fixed element in which said screw is threaded, said screw and said stud having external threads of the same hand but of slightly different pitch.

3. In a machine for making fiber reed by the successive operation of means to supply a fiber strip, a glue-applying device, guiding, forming, crushing and pressing devices, and a winding device, and in which said pressing device comprising a driven roll mounted in fixed bearings, a second roll mounted in movable bearings, and a roll-adjusting device, that improvement which consists in providing thrust-transmitting connections between said adjusting device and said movable bearings which connections comprise toggle members which constitute a rigid brace when in normal operative position and-which are manually movable irom operative positionto separate said rolls, while maintaining the adjustment of the movably mounted roll unchanged when said to gle and roll are returned to normal operative position.

4. In a machine for making fiber reed, a pair of forming dies having associated passages each passage being gradually contracted toward the delivery end of the dies and being of broadened U-shape in cross section, with one passage substantially broader at its delivery end than the other passage.

5. In a machine for making fiber reed, a pair of forming dies having associated passages, each passage being gradually contracted toward the delivery end of the dies and being of broadened U-shape in cross section, with one passage substantially broader at its delivery end than the other passage and so positioned that the associated edge portions 01 said passages are in alignment at one side or said passage and substantially ofiset at the other edge.

6. In a machine 'for making fiber reed, a fixed forming and crushing device having a passage through which a strip of paper is drawn and irregularly crushed, said passage being gradually contracted toward its delivery end and having an oii'set portion at said delivery end which is effective to substantially align'the outer,edge of the crushed paper strip with one edge of the resultant reed.

GUBTAF E. NORDS'I'ROM. EDWARD J. HOLDEN. 

